Coupler with hinged shank



A. E. SMALL I COUPLER WITH HINGED SHANK March 5,1935.

Filed Feb. 2, 1928 Z m w im m W E W A 5 Z M. Z

:20 WI l/V 56 Patented Mar. 5, 1935 om'rso STATES COUPLER WITH HINGED SHANK Arthur E. Small, Chicago, 111., assignor, by mesne assignments, to American Steel Foundries, Chicage, 111., a corporation of New Jersey Application February 2, 1928, Serial No. 251,330

2 Claims. (01. 213-69) The device relates to attachments of a car coupler to the draft gear or shock absorber of a railway car and comprises a coupler having a shank consisting of two pieces pivoted and interlocked together to accomplish certain desired objects.

The device might also be described as a coupler hag/ing a spreader hinged and interlocked there- The object of the invention is to increase the life of the coupler by decreasing the wear and mashing of the rear end of the shank where it engages the draft gear follower or casing.

Another object of the invention is to increase the life of the coupler by increasing the bearing area'between the draft key and the coupler.

Another object of the invention is to provide means so that the car coupler will have a surface contact with the draft gear casing (or follower) in any lateral position it may assume in service.

Another object of the invention is to provide means so that the car coupler will have a surface contact with the front draft key in any lateral position it may assume in service.

Another object of the invention is to provide a spreader connected to the coupler shank so as to provide arcuate buffing- (compression) and pulling (tension) surfaces therebetweenf Another object is to provide an arrangement for locking the spreader to the coupler and forming them so they can be assembled only by certain movements, which movements they cannot make while in assembled position with associated parts of the car.

Another object is to. attach the spreader to the coupler without any hinge ,or fulcrum pin, and in v fact, without any split key, cotter, nut or similar gear is in compressed position andithe coupler head is swung laterally.

Fig. 2 is similar to Fig. 1 but shows the coupler pulled outwardly.

Fig. 3 shows the relation of the coupler shank and the spreader in normal position.

Fig.4 is a side elevation of Fig. 3.

buffing piece and the rib in the coupler.) .ate faces .37 are provided on the front of the Fig. 5 shows the spreader partially assembled with the coupler shank.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the rear end of the coupler shank.

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of the spreader.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view in vertical crosssection through a shank and spreader connection disclosing an alternative construction.

The usual parts of the car are shown, such as coupler head 1; coupler shank 2; draft gear 3; draft sill 4; frontdraft key, 5; rear draft key 6; yoke 7; striking casting 8 and rear draft gear stop 9. I

In the form illustrated the coupler is provided with spaced jaws 54-55,having oppositely projecting vertically disposed pivots 20, each having an arcuate pullingsurface 21 toward the front of the coupler and an arcuate buffing surface 22 toward the rear of the coupler, both of said surfaces being concentric with a point 23 positioned between them, and the rear end of the coupler 24 is correspondingly arc uated flush with the arcuated buffing surface; The coupler is also provided with lugs or members, 40 each having an arcuate buffing surface 25 concentric with and positioned in front of the pulling surface forming a groove 25 therebetween, i. e., the buffing surface 25 is on the opposite side of the pivots from the bufling surarcuate rib 34, concentric with and sliolably engaging the. groove 26 between the forward buffing surface 25 and pulling surface 21 in the coupler.

(Of course, the groove may be in the spreader or Arouspreader wall which slidably engage the arouate rear end 24-22 (or ends) of the coupler. A projectingtongue or spreader 52 having a bearing surface 38 is provided on the front wall of the spreader or buffing piece and is received within the slot 53 between the jaws for engagement with the front draft key 5, which surface is arcuate to conform to the contour of the edge of the draft key,

although the same may be of any shape to correspond to the shape of the key. This bearing surface is made longer (horizontally) thanthe ar cuate surfaces 37 of the bufilng pieceand in fact is made as long as is permitted by the space between the arms of the yoke (see Fig. 3) so as to reduce the wear on the key and eliminate the elongation of the keyway.

In the operation of my device the compression or buff exerted on the coupler is transmitted by the arcuate bufling surface 22 on the pivots and the arcuate buifing surface 24 on the rear end of the coupler to the arcuate surfaces 37 on the Wall of the spreader or bufilng piece and thence to the draft gear casing. 10. Part of the compression is transmitted to the flanges 30-31 of the spreader or buiiing piece by the arcuate rib 40 on the coupler.

The pulling force exerted on the coupler is transmitted to the spreader or buiflng piece through the pulling surface on the pivots and thence to the draft gear through the front draft key 5 and the yoke,

In my arrangement, therefore, there is a-surface contact (in contrast with a line contact) between the spreader or buffing piece and draft gear casing or follower and between the coupler and spreader or buffing piece in any laterally swung position the coupler may assume in service when the coupler is under either compression or tension, and, furthermore, there is always a surface contact between the coupler and front draft key when the coupler is pulling the car no matter what lateral position it may be in.

The coupler now in general use is provided with a slot to accommodatethe forward draft key 5 and the size and location of this slot and key are prescribed by the A. R. A., therefore, for interchangeability I prefer to comply with these standards, thus the keyway bifurcates or splits the rear end of the coupler. (See Fig. 6.) The spacer 52 projects into the slot 53 so that when the coupler is under compression, this spacer or tongue 52 prevents the spaced jaws 54-55 of the bifurcated coupler from coming together, and furthermore, the flanges 3031 of the spreader or bufiing piece prevent the jaws of the coupler from spreading apart. The pivots 20 may be flared to interlock with the inwardly inclined lip of the flanges 30 to prevent the flanges from spreading apart which they may have a tendency to do when the coupler is under compression. (See Fig. 8.) This arrangement also prevents the bifurcated portions of the coupler and the flanges of the spreader or bufl'ing piece from spreading apart when the coupler is under tension. Besides its other functions, therefore, the spreader or buffingpiece prevents distortion of the bifurcated coupler shank.

The spreader or bufiing piece is assembled with the coupler by inserting the coupler shank in the spreader or buffing piece until the pivot point of the concentric arcuate surfaces of the pivot coincides with the pivot point of the arcuate surfaces on the spreader or buffing. piece and then rotating or swinging the spreader or buffing piece substantially ninety degrees, thereby engaging the arcuate ribs 34 with the arcuate grooves 26. When the parts are assembled (see Fig. 3) and the yoke 7 and key 5 are in place it is impossible for the spreader or buffing piece to becom'edisengaged from the coupler or even to become cooked or assume a binding position.

This interlocking arrangement eliminates the necessity of a hinge pin which is Very undesirable because it is broken in service and frequently falls out of position, thus causing the device to become inoperative and resulting in serious damage to the car. I have also eliminated the use of any nut or split key or similar retaining means for any part of my device. Experience has shown that such devices are frequently inadvertently or otherwise omitted by the workmen and are sometimes loosely applied so that the jolting of the car in service jars them entirely out of place.

The spreader or bufling piece is made symmetrical about its middle horizontal plane so that it may be applied either way; or in other words, is reversible and furthermore is foolproof in that it cannot e improperly applied.

I have used the term draft gear casing to indicate the box or housing which usually encases the shock absorbing mechanism. If a follower is used between the draft gear and coupler the invention and the claims covering it should not be changed in scope. The projection 39 maintains the proper relation between the coupler and draft gear.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and dc scribed, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof within the scope of the claims will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim: I

1. In a draft appliance, the combination of a coupler shank having a slotted end forming spaced jaws, each of said jaws having a buffing surface at the rear thereof and a pivot boss having an arcuate surface concentric with the center of curvature of said first-named surface, and a buffing piece having a surfacev cooperating with the bufiing surface of said jaws, said buifing piece having flanges overhanging said jaws and each being provided with a lug cooperating with a pivot boss for interlocking said bufflng piece and shank for removably connecting said buffing piece and said shank together yet permitting unrestricted relative horizontal angular movement therebetween, said bumng piece having a tongue received in said slot and forming a seat for a key passing through said slot.

2. In a draft appliance, the combination of a coupler shank having an arcuate rear end provided with a slot forming spaced jaws, said jaws having oppositvely extending pivot bosses each formed with an arcuatesurface concentric with the center of curvature of said first-named arcuate surface, a buffing piece having an arcuate surface cooperating with said arcuate rear end and having flanges overhanging said pivot bosses each of said flanges being provided with an arcuate shaped lug engaging the arcuate surfaces of said pivot bosses for interlocking said buffing piece and shank for removably connecting said buiiing piece and said shank together yet permitting unrestricted relative horizontal angular movement therebetween, and arcuate shaped lugs on said jaws and spaced from said pivot bosses engaging with the lugs of said flanges during transmission of buffing forces between said shank and buffing piece, said bufling piece having a tongue received in said slot and forming a seat for a key passing through said slot.

ARTHUR E. SMALL. 

